Have you ever walked into a health care facility and felt totally overwhelmed? Or been unsure how to talk to your health care provider about an issue you have? No matter who you are, facing something unknown can be anxiety-inducing. Especially if you are not confident in your ability to get the answers you need, are worried about being judged, or are intimidated by trying to translate medical terms or navigate your insurance.

I can’t remember how long my own Mom accompanied me on medical visits but thanks to her BS in Biochemistry and insistence that “parts are parts, and everyone has them,” I had some comfortability talking about my own body parts, could articulate my questions, and could understand most of what was discussed. Unfortunately, that confidence did not carry into college, and I routinely avoided having to deal with insurance, scheduling my own appointments, and remembering to get vaccinated (until I went home and received several exasperated lectures from my parents). In fact, I still sometimes struggle with anxiety that comes with going into a new medical office or seeing a new provider because I never know what kind of care or bedside manner I’m going to get.

Now if I, as an adult, get some level of anxiety, I can only imagine that youth would too. Clinics and providers who serve youth should really be focusing on making them feel comfortable and supported as they start to take a more active role in their own health.

Now if I, as an adult, get some level of anxiety, I can only imagine that youth would too. Clinics and providers who serve youth should really be focusing on making them feel comfortable and supported as they start to take a more active role in their own health.

At the beginning of the summer, True You Maryland hosted a training—led by the Adolescent Health Initiative—on how to take the level of youth-friendly services at a clinic from mid to stellar. This recorded session also includes the results of Wicomico County Youth Advisory Board’s “Photovoice Project,” which gathered their thoughts on the youth-friendliness of health services in their county. Some of the themes that surfaced from this project were:

• The desire to be alone with healthcare providers.
• Limited knowledge (if any) about where to go for mental health services.
• Not knowing their rights if accessing healthcare on their own.
• Fear that parents will find out.
• Not feeling that doctors/health care providers see them (i.e., the provider talks past them, and directs questions to their parent.)

Unfortunately, these statements are not surprising, but I have hope we can do better for our young people. So, how can we make these spaces youth-friendly? The Adolescent Health Initiative provided a short list during the training of some youth-friendly behaviors that include:

• Honoring confidentiality
• Being accommodating
• Avoiding the use of jargon
• Being approachable and non-judgmental
• Actively listening

Check out the recorded video of the training to learn more about how to implement these behaviors in a clinic setting. All young people deserve to feel safe, secure, and cared for at their clinic so they can thrive.